A Time for Us
by Marie Writer
Summary: Just a more detailed look into their relationship, including extended scenes and the aftermath of everything... after they get the money. There's always time, even when it seems you're out. Rated T for some mentions of blood and some kissing scenes.


_Really what this is... is me trying to get back on my feet with writing. Also I just watched the movie again and I realized I wanted more. More of Whitey's goodbye, more of their reunion, and more after they got the money. So to get more I dug deep into my suppressed imagination (being too busy to really use it lately) and started writing. _

_This whole thing is very impromptu and I'm just writing down what pops into my head. So any and all mistakes are a result as that._

_Also, I hope this... (almost said 'subreddit') "movie" gets more fans soon so that there is more to read on here. I REALLY loved this movie and felt that it's horribly underrated. _

_Anyway..._

_Enjoy!_

X.x.X.x

Alice grabbed Whitey's hand. "Run... c'mon!" She shouted, never releasing his hand – she needed to know that he was with her. "Don't stop!" Whitey was keeping up with her, or was she keeping up with him? She couldn't be sure, all she knew was that she was getting tired of running and the heels she was wearing did nothing to help.

Time seemed to be in slow motion as she heard more gunshots, she ducked her head and stumbled forward with Whitey as more bullets ricocheted around the alley. "C'mon!" She cried as they both found their footing and kept moving.

"Alice..." He started and she looked over to meet his gaze, they were both running blind now... but he was sure it didn't matter... all that mattered was that she lived even if he couldn't.

"What? What is it?" Ducking her head again as she ran, another shot. Alice looked ahead of her and she was only halfway, what a long alley! It was getting closer though... so close.

"Keep running!" He replied, his eyes dark with an emotion she couldn't read.

Furrowing her brows she glanced ahead of her before back at him, even as they bounced with each stride they took and the loud laughter and gunfire behind them, she stared at his face... into his eyes and knew something was different. "Whitey..." She was breathing heavily now, her cardio could be better and she promised to start going for her runs again when they got back.

Suddenly he released her hand and fell behind their steady pace, "No!" She backpedaled just as two more shots went off. This was different from all the other gunfire; it was louder and it seemed to reverberate longer, she felt a pang deep in her stomach and her ears started to ring as a scream echoed through the alleyway.

She stood in shock as her eyes darted to the other end of the alley way where all the Queen's people stood laughing while he reloads his revolver. Alice felt frozen until she finally saw Whitey move beside her. He's stiff as he turns his head toward her, he's still facing their exit while she stand with her shoulder turned toward their freedom, one foot in the grave the other out.

"Whitey..." She finally manages, her throat raw from what she now realizes was her own scream that filled the alley and that pang in her stomach was one of dread. "What is it?" His lips are slightly parted and his breathing shallow and she knows something is wrong... his eyes seem to tighten a bit as he sways with instability. "Whitey..." Her voice is small, like a mouse and she throws her arms out to catch him just as his legs buckle. "Whitey!"

Alice is at a loss, with one arm under his neck for support her left hand hovers over his chest, frantically, not knowing what to do - helpless in their eagerness - where blood now stains his layers of clothing. "Okay... okay..." She muttered, looking anywhere and everywhere on his body, taking in every inch of him. "You're goin' to be fine." She assured, "you just gotta get up."

Slowly Whitey's hand moved up her left arm, shaking, barely able to make it to her neck she finally found something to do with her left hand and pressed it to her face before placing her lips on the inside of his palm. "We're out of time, Alice..." he looked at his watch, "you have to go... get out of here. Wonderland is no place for a bird like you." He struggled to offer a smile though it was futile, Alice would have none of it.

"No, no I'm not leaving you! I won't let you die!" She cried and released his hand to press hers into his chest, causing him to groan and writhe beneath her touch. "I won't let you die... I won't." Her tears were already falling down her cheeks, stray hairs that fell in her face now stuck to her cheeks from the tears.

Whitey's eyes fluttered as he shuddered, "Alice..."

"No!" She sobbed as another bullet ricocheted off the brick to their right, they were lucky that Queen was such a bad shot. "C'mon! Get up!" She moved her left hand from his chest to under his arm while her right remained around his back then pulled up, trying to get him to stand but he made no move to get up nor did he groan in pain... only blinked up at her with sullen eyes. "No, Whitey -" she placed her right hand on his face and stroked his cheek gently. "-you gotta help me get you up! Let me help you!" Another shot, this time much closer, she felt it whiz by her head. "Whitey!"

She felt her heart break when he shook his head and immediately after blood spilled from his lips with a rather coarse cough and shudder. There was a curse behind her and it seemed there was more bullets shot than she had actually heard... he was out again.

"_Why don't we just go get them?"_ She heard Hattie crow.

"_Well that wouldn't be any fun, would it?!" _Queen barked, and she could picture Hattie dodging it with a roll of the eyes. _"I like the game of it..." _he mused.

"Whitey..." she whispered and wiped away the blood with the pad of her thumb and kissed his top lip gingerly.

"Alice..." He whispered and she bent over to hear him, her ear just over his lips. "I'm sorry..." she sat back up in surprise and looked into his eyes but before she could mutter a reply his eyes fluttered and closed.

"_Get her! Shoot her!" _Hattie cried.

Another barrage of bullets hailed around her, one by one. "No, please don't leave me!" She cried and clutched his clothes in handfuls. "Don't leave me!" His face was blank and he was no longer shuddering... he was gone. "Okay... okay..." She breathed and took one last full look at Whitey's face, imprinting him into her memory by running her fingers over her features before scrambling to her feet and running full speed. She was out of time...

"_Twinkle twinkle little bat," _Hattie continued as the Queen and gang started stalking after her again, she rounded the corner of the alleyway and passed over the vacant street._ "-how I wonder where you're at..." _Descending the ramp into the station she tried to stifle the sobs and ignore Hattie's jeering Wonderland nursery rhyme_ "Up above the..." _Alice burst through the large door stepped through and then slammed it behind her, breathing heavily as she leaned back against it.

"I told you..." The old woman started and Alice gaped at her then at what she saw in front of her... she saw herself. She was back where she started...

"How...?" She glanced at the homeless lady who was on doing her own thing. So instead she took off running, again... this time taking her heels off and carrying them in her left hand, still soaked in blood.

_I'm late... I'm late... oh please don't let me be late! This is too important!_ She started to repeat the famous White Rabbit mantra in her head, _'I'm late I'm late for a very important date... no time to say hello – goodbye! I'm late I'm late I'm late!"_

She barely made the turn around one of the buildings before throwing herself into the street, just as Whitey's cab was coming around the bend. "Stop!" She shouted her hands in the air, she stiffened from the memory of the last time she ran out in front of his cab but she didn't move, and he didn't hit her... this time. She rested her hands on the hood of his car as he threw his arms up in the air.

"Oi! Bird... move!" He tossed his right thumb out to the side, indicated to get out of the way. Alice just smiled, shaking her head, noting that his right wrist was still bare. Whitey was furious, she could tell but she was just so happy to see him... alive. Oh so alive! "I don't believe this!" He honked his horn and when she remained put he threw up his hands. "Look at this! Look at the time, I'm late on my left." He glanced at his left wrist, "I'm late on my righ- where's my watch?" He looked around the cab incredulously.

Smiling, Alice pulled her own right hand up and smirked, knowingly. Whitey paused his search to look up and seeing the watch he squinted his eyes to confirm it was his. "What the fu-" He opened his door and stepped out. "How'd you get-" He started but Alice quickly stopped him by running into his arms, placing both hands on the side of his face and kissing him, passionately.

Shocked, Whitey kissed back before coming to his senses and pushed her away. "Who- wha- why...?"

Again, Alice smiled and pressed her finger to his lips and began a slightly rushed version of what she'd just been through, resting her hands on Whitey's forearms while his remained on her waist – as to keep her in check. "We don't have long..." She began and as she did looked either way down the street as she heard sirens. "You're name is Whitey and you're on your way to pick up a gift for Harry Hunt, only you're going to miss the delivery and wind up dead." She paused as she cleared her throat, having choked up on the word 'dead'. "I know because I was there." She held up her left hand to keep him from asking too many questions.

Shaking his head Whitey frowned, "Is this some whacked out English version of Punk'd?" He leaned towards her and again she silenced him with her finger, but this time lingering longer.

"My name is Alice Dodgson and my dad is the billionaire – Louis Dodgson..." She nodded as Whitey said her father's name with her.

"Yeah I know him." Whitey nodded his head then shook it as he continued. "What does this have to do with me?"

"As far as anyone is concerned I've been kidnapped, but in truth I've run away-"

"Run away from your billionaire daddy, go figure... you American-"

"He controls my whole life and wants to marry me off to some Schmuck!" She continued, patient with him as ever, how can she not? He was dead only minutes ago... "but he'll post a $10 million dollar reward for my return, now we can-"

"Just slow down, love, slow down." He shook his head and nodded at seemingly the same time and Alice sighed but obliged.

"Once he posts the reward for me, we can find a way to get the money and get away."

Whitey closed his eyes and tried to process, finally finding a word to utter he spoke, "We?"

"You choose. $10 million and me," She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled for emphasis, "now. Or dead in an alleyway later." He looked down at the ground and sighed then back up at her, conflicted.

Whitey took a real moment to look her over, she was covered in blood her dress near her abdomen was stained in red as was her hand. He vaguely wondered if she was hurt, did he hit her? He didn't think so... he stopped in time, right? Then he remembered she showed him the blood while informing him he would end up dead if he went on his way... he had died? _Died?_ How? Surely it couldn't have been for her... just some random bird off the street.

"Tick tock tick tock." She tsked, her head bouncing side to side. The sirens were getting closer.

Nodding, Whitey swallowed hard. "Dead...?"

"Toes up," she frowned and her eyes changed briefly before she blinked and it was gone. _'I know because I was there.' _

"Or $10 million...?"

"Roughly $5 million of your, cute, British pounds." She smiled so brightly and so genuinely it reached her eyes, when was the last time someone smiled at him like that. He stared at her, though tried to pass it off as a glare... who was she?

"Get in."

X.x.X.x

_3 months later..._

Whitey sat on the couch with his left arm tossed over the back rest, Alice sat curled up at his side, her legs curled up under her with her left hand tucked between her thighs and her right hand resting on his thigh. Suddenly he looked over his right shoulder, "What _are _you staring at, love?" He asked, looking at her incredulously.

"You..." she smiled and wiggled in the way she does when she's excited or 'acting cute'.

"Me?" He scoffed and shook his head. "Another victim to this slice of heaven." He motioned to himself with his free hand a smirk firm on his face.

She laughed and they fell silent again, both watching the tv screen as Mulder tried once again, in vain to get valid proof of his theories, and once again Scully denied her own experiences and chalked them up to be hallucinations due to lack of sleep.

"Is she ever going to believe?" Alice outstretched her left hand to the screen, Whitey's watch hanging off her slender wrist.

"No, she's too stubborn... but-" Whitey held up a finger and paused for effect. "she _does _believe in God... that counts."

Alice finally dropped her hand and let it fall to rest on her stomach as she readjusted so that she was lying on her back and using Whitey's lap as a pillow. "Hardly."

The show continued after the adverts and they fell silent again but soon she was staring up at him instead of the program. "What? Why do you keep staring at me? Do I have spaghetti sauce on my face?"

"No..." She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I'm just really glad you're here... with me." she managed before looking away and watching an interesting scene where Scully was about to kiss an imposter Mulder just as the real Mulder breaks in through her door. It was an older episode of X-Files but it was still fun and cringe worthy at it's moments.

"What do you mean?" His words interrupted the dialogue exchange and she sighed but then sobered when she realized just what he was interrupting for. What did she mean? That he was watching X-Files with her? That he had moved in with her? That he had taken her deal of running away with her? That he was alive and not in some unmarked grave in Wonderland? With that she rubbed her eye that had tears pooling already. "Oh... Alice..." He let out a breathy laugh and placed his hand in her hair and ran his fingers through it.

"I'm still having nightmares..." She finally admitted, still refusing to look at him she watched the adverts but wasn't paying attention.

"Still?" He echoed quietly and she nodded into his lap and sniffled. "Love, I've been here with you the whole time. I'm not goin' anywhere."

"But what if Harry-"

"He won't find us, just like Louis won't find us... or anyone. We're safe and I'm right here... I'm alive because..." he forced her to look up at him. "you saved me."

Alice nodded but didn't feel better, "Sometimes I can't even close my eyes without seeing you in that alley." She shuddered but continued, "Other times... I forget." She paused, "I forget what you... I forget whether you were there or not... if you have the same memories I do..." She let out a shakey sigh. "Y-you... we did so many things. You came back for me... you were my white knight." She sat up and faced him so that her feet were between them and she put her hands in his. "You _are _my white night." She corrected and squeezed his hands. "_I'm sorry_." Her voice was not her own, it was mousy and strange even to her own ears. "I just get so confused...!" She bowed her head and sniffled as she collected what was left of her head. "God, my mind is in pieces!"

Whitey was silent, expressionless, just listening. That in of itself was enough to let the tears finally flow and she brought his hands up to her lips and placed a series of small kisses on the knuckles before opening his hand and pressing her lips to his palm. "I need you... so much. None of this is your fault." He finally opened his mouth to interject but she cut him off. "I'm so...so_ enraptured_ that you're alive and that you're here. I wouldn't have it any other way..." she lost what control she had and a small sob escaped, soon after she forced a small laugh and wiped at her cheeks, "I've lost my head."

"Hey, hey... c'mere." He pulled her into his side, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. He pressed his lips into her hair. "I get it... I get it..." he muttered gently. "I'm here... and I'm staying."

She stuck out her lip in an effort to lighten the mood, "not just 'cause of the 5 million pounds?"

He smirked, "well it's kinda why-"

She laughed though it was still choked, "shut up." She punched him lightly in the side and he laughed and feigned hurt.

"But seriously, I'm... staying... and I'm here." He emphasized that by tilting up her head and pressing a kiss to her lips gently. After they parted Alice smiled while swallowing the sobs, the relieved and happy sobs, and got up to straddle his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Promise?" she whispered and bent to rest her forehead on his, closing her eyes.

He groaned and smiled, nodding. "Cross my heart and-"

"Ssshhh," She pressed a timid kiss to his lips to keep him from finishing the expression. She ran her fingers through his hair and deepened the kiss. The X-Files theme song came on as the credits rolled and it seemed to make the moment more intense... more erogenous.

They broke apart and their eyes met, "I love you..." She whispered and he nodded.

"I love you..." he replied.

Alice smiled and leaned back into kiss him, taking in everything about him... the way he smelled, how he felt, the way he ran his hands up and down her back... everything. He was intoxicating. All of him, the Wonderland him and the Now him. He lifted her with ease off the couch and she wrapped her legs around his waist, he was so strong... so effortless in his comfort and his romantic ways, though you wouldn't guess he had the ability to do such. He walked them slowly down the hall to the bedroom, their necking passionate and never breaking.

Stopping at the edge of the bed he dropped her on the mattress and smirked. "I'm you're 'Whitey Knight'?"

She smiled and nodded, scootching up on the bed, closer to the pillows. "Yeaaaah," she drawled and wiggled again, kicking her feet in excitement.

"So, then... whooo aaare youuu?"

She feigned a dramatic face and placed the back of her hand on her forehead, "The damsel in distress!" She said just as dramatically and he growled before jumping on the bed with her and they both laughed before returning to their passionate throws.


End file.
